According to the latest research from Statistics Brain,

69% of women say they feel more attractive right after having their hair colored. Hair coloring is a trend which is here to stay – the same data showed that 75% of women dye their hair in some form.

Home Versus Salon Hair Color Correction

While most people leave coloring to the experts at their local salon, some try their hand at home, the results of which are not always as expected. This is where professional hair color correction comes in, when an expert colorist steps up to sort out the client’s color and achieve the shade or shades that he or she had originally hoped for.

Hair color can go wrong for many reasons. At a professional salon, a colorist can provide expert advice on how to achieve a desired color. This will include consideration of any previous dyes or treatments applied to the hair, its thickness and its general condition. All of these factors play important role in determining the color that the dyed hair will come out, hoever, home dye kits are unable to take any of them into account.

Other factors can also mean that hair color can go wrong. Using an old, out of date dye can have disastrous results, while activities such as swimming in chlorinated water too soon after coloring can also have an impact.  Trying to undertake complex coloring at home, such as highlights or panel coloring, can also lead to the need for professional intervention.

Celebrity Wave

Another key reason for color correction is that the client has simply chosen the wrong shade in the first place. They may have ended up with a color that is lighter or darker than they wanted, or they may just have chosen a shade that doesn’t suit them. Helen Mirren’s rose pink locks sparked a trend in 2013, but many women found that the color didn’t look quite as good on them as it did on the actress and decided to backtrack to an alternative shade.

Trying to undertake hair color correction at home is rarely a good idea. Instead, a salon-based colorist should be sought out in order to provide the necessary expertise. The approach that the colorist takes will depend on the type of correction needed, the condition of the hair and so forth. A personalized consultation will determine the next steps.

What a Professional Colorist Will Do

For hair that has come out lighter than anticipated, a colorist may choose to apply a darker shade to the whole head, or to add lowlights that balance out the incorrect color. Toners can also be useful for correcting hair color by a shade or two and are particularly useful in balancing out brassy shades when a blonde color has gone wrong.

For hair that is darker than intended, color remover can be used, such as the market leading Goldwell color remover system, which is advocated by any number of coloring experts. The process nurtures the hair and retains the natural tone, while stripping away the incorrect color that has been applied. The stylist is then able to apply the color that was originally desired, without the hair being damaged in the process.

How to Take Care of Your Hair After Color Correction

For hair that has come out redder than intended, brown low lights or an overall brown tint can help to correct the color while retaining some of the red tones, for a lovely warm result that isn’t too bright and showy. Clarifying treatments can also help with removing or toning down darker shades – again, an expert colorist can advise on the best approach.

Hair care following color correction is extremely important if the corrected color is to be kept looking its best. Avoiding washing the hair too soon after coloring will help to retain the color – hair should be left unwashed for two or more days if possible. Using lukewarm water for washing will also be beneficial, as will avoiding the use of too many heated styling products.

Hair Color Care Products

Color care products, including shampoos, conditioners, mousses and intensive treatments can also be an important part of keeping hair color looking as bright and beautiful as it did in the salon. A huge range of products is available, but some of the best will be those that can be purchased directly from the salon that applied the color correction.

When you purchase hair color care products based on salon recommendations, you can be sure that the products they use are perfectly suited to your new color and that nothing they are using will risk the need for further color correction in the future, something that every client no doubt wants to avoid!

Full-service designer and hair color specialist Rodney Gentry is based at Sachi Studio’s in Scottsdale AZ. For color consultations and other appointments, call 480.639.2000. Contact him today to discuss all of your hair coloring needs!